Kiss Me Deadly
by Forsythia Lux
Summary: -WARNING: Dark Fic- Still suffering from the psychological ramifications of a near fatal mission to Oto, A new assignment forces Sakura to revisit her past, except this time, Sasuke wants what she took away back. -SasuSaku?-
1. Careless Whisper

**Warning: This story deals with a heavy issue, and I do not wish to offend anyone's beliefs/stands on this issue, so discretion is advised. If you are somehow offended, I apologize in advanced.**

UPDATED/REWRITTEN - March 24, 2008

* * *

Title: **_Kiss Me Deadly_**

Summary:

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Sakura thought she could break that law.

- Some mistakes are meant to be left in the past, but when Sakura is assigned to a mission that involves trespassing on Sound, she finds facing her own inner demons inevitable; especially since _he_, the individual responsible for her furies, wants what she took away back.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. (Applies to every chapter)

* * *

**_Chapter One: Careless Whisper_**

* * *

Sakura couldn't begin to describe the feeling plaguing her body, the emptiness making it's way through her very core. Guilt churned her insides, tying her stomach in knots. At last Sakura leaned over and heaved, the acidic vile left an aftertaste that loomed in her mouth for a good few minutes.

"Are you ok?" Getting up off her knees, Sakura acknowledged her teammate Naruto. "I can deal." She had to. Sakura was too strong to let the furies of the past destroy her life. Everyone makes mistakes, even murder.

"I know. We all can."

He was right. They were both trained by the best of the best, sanin ninjas Tsunade and Jiyara. They could easily take on whatever dared to cross their paths. But then again, so was _he_. Her eyes glazed with tears and Sakura found herself digging her nails deep into her thighs. She felt dirty, disgusting; and not because she revisited breakfast.

"We're heading out at sunrise, so I'd try to get some sleep." Sighing, Sakura brought her knees to her chest. No, she couldn't sleep, too many thoughts.

She could still feel the sensation of his hands on her back, the taste of his lips at her mouth, the way he said her name...

"_Sakura..." _

"Sakura!" Naruto shook Sakura's arm, violently snapping her back into reality. "Sakura, this is the sixth time I've caught you zoning out during this mission, and we haven't even officially started yet. If whatever is bothering you causes you to become a liability to the mission, then I will have to take you off the team..."

Naruto stopped his rant when he caught a glimpse of Sakura's eyes. The usually lively green orbs were now dead cold, giving off an unreadable expression. Unknown to Naruto was that Sakura's mind was racing, attempting to confirm her actions from long ago.

"_Everyone makes mistakes, right?"_

"Sakura, is this about..." He wanted to ask her, but Naruto just couldn't bring himself to say the words. Some things from the past are just too taboo to ever revisit, let alone mention.

"Naruto...I.." Sakura drew her hands to her stomach and let out a soft, muffled cry.

"I...killed it."

Naruto's mouth parted and he attempted to find the right words to comfort her. "Sakura, it's alright, don't cry...please."

"I ruined his dream. I killed it." Her eyes glazed but Sakura quickly wiped away the tears; after all, a good shinobi shows no emotion.

Naruto had no explanation for what he did next, leaning down and kissing her. Looking up at Naruto, Sakura no longer felt guilty, but comforted. The kiss itself wasn't filled with lust or passion, but understanding; Naruto's own way of telling her everything was going to be alright.

Pulling back, Naruto took another look at Sakura's eyes. The emerald orbs reflected his own cerulean eyes with a bright glow. No longer dead, her eyes dilated as the evening light slowly dimmed.

"I should go..." Naruto released Sakura from his grip, and as she watched him leave the room, each second passed by played like frame in her mind.

Though hard to admit, Sakura liked the way Naruto made her forget all the mistakes, even if it is only for a few moments. However, forgetting the mistakes will never replenish the part of her soul that is gone.

In Sakura's mind, her action was equal to killing someone on a mission with a kunai, maybe even worse.

At the time, it didn't sound like murder, but neither does "A rank mission." Talking about missions, Sakura wasn't too keen about the one she was currently on. Fortunately, it would all be over soon enough.

They always were.

* * *

Hours passed like minutes, and before Sakura knew it, the mission had already begun.

Her assignment was simple enough, tend to the medical needs of any casualties; but it was the mission in whole that made Sakura weary.

It required trespassing on Sound. _The_ Hidden Village of Sound.

This was the mission, or as far as Sakura knew: An extremely influential individual's daughter had been taken hostage by the rouge Sound village. Konoha-nin had been hired to act as mediators and help arrange her with a safe return. But, even if Sound's demands are met, there is still a wide margin of risk, and in the briefing sempai warned Sakura that 'force may be necessary'.

As the Konoha team cautiously made their way through the thick forest of Sound, Sakura struggled to keep her senses heightened. Everything was a fog, too many reminders; too many memories.

As hard as it is to believe, it was almost a year ago she was treading through the exact same patch of forest. Except the circumstances were different.

* * *

_Her body trembled with sheer terror as Sakura slowly took in her surroundings. Bodies sprawled across the forest's floor, the metallic taste of blood intoxicating the air. It was all too much for one nin to handle._

_"Why?" Was all that could escape her lips. Why had her team been ambushed? Why had her life been spared? No, wait, she subconsciously knew why, she just refused to acknowledge the answer. _

_"Sakura, you'll be alright," a familiar voice uttered, and just like that, Sakura collapsed into a pair of muscular arms. _

* * *

"Sakura, are you alright back there?" Looking up, Sakura nodded to one of the older, more experienced ninja.

No, she wasn't alright, but any sign of emotion is a weakness; - Sakura reminded herself, disregarding his question.

"Nothing I can't handle." The Jonin continued ahead and Sakura followed, hoping Naruto was too occupied to notice her change in disposition.

"So, what's the deal with this girl anyway? I mean, who gets kidnapped by Sound?" A teammate asked aloud.

Sakura was wondering that herself. She assumed the successful merchant they were hired to serve wasn't completely honest in his work, and Orochimaru just took the poor girl out of gripe. Though Sakura's heart went out to the girl, Oto was no where near as civil as Konoha when it came to dealing with POWs or hostages.

Sakura knew this because for a short period of time, she was hostage of Oto herself.

* * *

__

Sakura never classified herself as a claustrophobic, or at least not until that night. The cold, damp, prison floor numbed her tiny frame as she attempted to make sense of her surroundings.

"So you're the hostage from Konoha? Quite a pretty thing." Inching her way against the cell's wall, Sakura avoided the sound-nin's gaze.

"Don't lay a finger on her." Sakura's ears perked up as she recognized the familiar timbre. It was the same voice that haunted her dreams.

Closing her eyes tightly shut, Sakura's body continued to tremble; not out of fear, but anticipation.

* * *

"We'll set up camp here. Naruto, I'm going to need you to begin surveillance immediately. After about an hour I'll lead half of the team out. The rest will stay behind as backup." Nodding to their sempai, the team of Jonin dispersed to start their individual tasks.

"Sakura, do you mind?" Making her way into the makeshift medical tent, Tenten unwrapped the gauze binding her palm, revealing an unsightly wound.

"This happened while I was training before this mission. I tended to it myself, but my hand is still sore; I was hoping a real medic-nin could check it out." Sakura gingerly took a hold of Tenten's hand. "It looks infected, I'm going to apply an antiseptic." Stepping back, Sakura released the hand and made her way to the container of medical supplies.

"So, how have you been doing?" Sakura winced at Tenten's question, almost dropping the glass Iodine bottle she clasped. "I.. am...I've been fine." Tenten nodded and Sakura grabbed a few cotton balls from one of the many first aid kits.

Dipping the cotton balls into Iodine, Sakura gestured to Tenten to hold open her hand.

"You may feel some pain." The simple statement Sakura advised to Tenten stirred some suppressed insecurities.

'_Did it feel pain?' _

As the cotton ball abraded Tenten's skin, Tenten made a expression of displeasure. After cleansing the wound; Sakura gave her an anti-bacterial ointment, advising her to apply it daily.

"Thanks for taking care of it for me. I can be such a klutz sometimes." Tenten fidgeted with the tube of ointment in her hand, while diffidently turning around as if she were hiding something. Just as Tenten was going to step out-through the tent opening, she stopped in her tracks.

"I know we may not be the closest, but if you ever need to talk, on this mission, or on any mission, I'll be there." Even though Tenten had genuine intentions, Sakura couldn't help but simmer inside. Sure she'd been through hell during these past few months, but Sakura hated being considered weak. She was too good of a ninja to be thought of in that manner.

"I'm fine. Honestly." Tenten smiled to Sakura sincerely and finally stepped out of the medical tent.

Letting out a sigh of dejection, Sakura tossed the roll of remaining gauze to the side and collapsed onto a canvas cots. It would be hours before Naruto's assignment was finished, and sleeping provided Sakura with a safe form of escapism.

* * *

_"You may feel some pain."_

_Sakura turned her head away, biting her lip as he gave her a curse seal. "It's for the prisoners of Sound. It's to track you, nothing more. It's not like my seal if that's what's concerning you." Sakura felt dizzy. It was not too long ago that she'd kill to hear his voice just once, and now, there she was, doing everything in her power to avoid his gaze._

_"Don't worry. It's a needle prick in comparison to the emotion pain you caused me." Sasuke let go of her upper arm and admired the seal. "There will be a hearing this evening. Orochimaru-sensei will then decide what to do with you." Sakura's body continued to tremble involuntary._

_"They're not going to kill me, are they?" Sakura couldn't help but ask._

_Sasuke shot his head in reply. "Don't worry, I won't let them." _

_Unfortunately, this assurance did not supply Sakura with much relief. She was well aware of her fate, a foresight that caused her cheeks to burn with anger._

_Sasuke's new persona was her foil, the poison. _

_Sakura needed to get out of Oto before her body and soul were forever tainted. _

_That is, if she could. _

* * *

From the moment Sakura opened her eyes, she could tell something was not right. A thickness hung in the air; the whole campsite seemed obscurely still.

Too calm for an A rank mission.

Finally summoning the courage to step out of the medical tent, Sakura's curiosity greeted her with the gruesome site of blood.

They had been ambushed.

Just like the fated mission she attended over a year ago.

Sakura stood in place for a few moments, shell shocked. After sufficiently taking in the scene, she quickly darted back to the tent, filling both her arms with supplies. Running to the nearest casualty, Sakura quickly used her perfect charkra control to tend to his wounds faster than any regular medical-nin.

"Who did this?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling with concern and fear.

The ninja struggled to get the words out, barely able to string together a sentence. "He...he came here and attacked, too fast...his eyes...they were...mesmerizing... red..." Sakura finished healing the ninja and got up from the ground.

Sakura was well aware of the person who dared to attack her team - she was just not in the mood to deal with him.

Not after everything he put her through.


	2. Bury This Alive

**_Chapter Two: Bury This Alive_**

* * *

"Sakura, you haven't changed a bit..."

She could feel his warm breath make it's way down her bare neck. "Still gorgeous..."

-_Another white lie-_

He was wrong. He had to be. There were too many impurities buried beneath her flesh, pathogens that found their way deep under Sakura's very skin. She was infected, slowly poisoning everything she touched. No, she was no longer gorgeous, not after she killed his dream.

"I'm on a mission." Sakura attempted to keep her body steady, but the charkra emitting from his curse seal made her nauseous; weak.

"Of course you are. You've become quite the shinobi." Sasuke's words were more of a paradox, even his tone was edged with mockery. Sasuke's time with Orochimaru had changed him for the worst.

Just like how Sakura's time with Sasuke changed her for the worst, as well.

* * *

_The Anbu's lean arms wrapped around Sakura's waif body. Even though she had just been rescued from Sound, fear still chilled her bones. They were taking her back to Konoha. They were going to find out what she was so desperately trying to hide. _

* * *

"I always was. You've just refused to take note of it." Maybe she was right, but Sasuke disregarded her retort for the time being. He had something else clouding his mind.

"Where are the others?" Sakura quickly snapped him out of thought and he released Sakura from his grip.

"Naruto, Tenten, and the rest of your team made their way to Sound. Don't worry, the girl is being taken care of. If you follow Sound's demands the mission should go smoothly." Sakura played with the fringe on her signature gloves. Something about the way he said 'demands' made her queasy. There was a catch.

"What exactly is _he_ demanding from them?" Sasuke's glower twisted into a smirk, making Sakura even more uncomfortable.

"Oh, no, he isn't demanding anything from anyone. I am calling the shots tonight, and what I want is _you_."

_-Dear God No.-_

* * *

_Tsunade shook her head. Sakura was in worse condition than she had imagined._

_Tsunade's heart went out to her apprentice, whatever happened in Sound must've been sickening._

_But she wasn't just concerned about the physical wounds Sakura suffered; No, Tsuande was more worried about the emotional damage inflicted upon her. Sasuke was involved, and Tsunade knew it. She just didn't know how._

_"Tsunade, something odd came up in Sakura's physical, it's something you need to check out." Turning around the Hokage nodded to the medic nin, shifting the weight of her feet as the she handed her over the file. Looking through the chart Tsunade couldn't agree more; it was something odd alright. According to the chart...Sakura... __she __had been..._

* * *

"You have a lot of nerve to think you can just walk away from me. You've known me long enough, you must realize that nothing gets in the way of my ambitions; my dreams." Sakura trembled nervously.

_-Did he know?-_

As Sasuke began to step dangerously closer, Sakura lost her footing and stumbled backwards. "You could've stayed in Sound. I thought you wanted us to be together. After all, you do _love me._"

Sakura covered her ears. At the time of her confession, what she felt seemed like love. But what twelve year old really knows the difference between immature lust and the true, grow old together, pure, unconditionally feeling of love?

Sakura didn't know what love was back then, and just like her twelve year old self, she still did not know now.

"No!" Sakura shouted. She didn't care about him anymore. She just wanted to get away. Away from him, her life, and the consequences he made her suffer.

"You..don't love me?" He was pushing her to the brink.

"I..I don't mean that. I just..." Sakura found herself drowning in her own words. She was being torn apart, from the inside and out; just like before.

* * *

_It didn't take long for Sakura to grow weary of staying locked up in her chamber. Sure, Sasuke would occasionally drop in to check up on her; but it was his 'visits' that were making Sakura wither away._

_Every time his calloused hands brushed her soft, luscious skin, she became ill._

_At the same time, Sakura craved him._

_She wanted to get lost in his rapture; burn with the passion that waged between them like wildfire._

_If only she realized the consequences._

* * *

"Look, I'll do what you want for the sake of the mission. Just..." Sakura got caught in her own words. She was never a good negotiator.

Sasuke grinned, seemingly pleased. "In that case, you know exactly what I want."

Sasuke's malicious grin sent shockwaves throughout her body. At this point, Sakura feared for her life.

"Sakura, have you forgotten?" With the agility only a highly trained ninja could manage to pull off, Sasuke materialized behind Sakura.

"How'about I jumpstart your memory?"

Even though her body remained perfectly still, Sakura inwardly screamed.

_-NO!-_

* * *

_His arms wrapped firmly around her waist and his face pressed against the nape of her neck. "Wouldn't it be nice if these moments could last forever?" Sakura bit her lip, wanting to answer no even though she knew it was a rhetorical question._

_His grip around Sakura tightened causing her to whimper. Sasuke noticed this and decided to exploit the situation. "Does this hurt?" Sasuke pulled tighter and Sakura clenched her fists._

_Shaking her head, Sakura wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with him. At least not her current condition._

* * *

By the time his hands were circling at the small of her back, Sakura's mind was already gone.

"I missed you," Sasuke whispered into Sakura's ear. Not that she was actually listening. She was far too concerned with the fact the _it _was coming back.

The guilt. The shame. _The fear._

All of it accumulated to Sakura's abdomen. Quickly pulling back, she nearly threw-up on Sasuke's chest.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Have I overwhelmed you?"

Words formed in Sakura's mouth but she dared not to speak. She just needed to know one thing.

"Sasuke, what do you want from me?" Her words stung. As if it already wasn't already painfully obvious.

"What I want? Oh, that is simple. I just want YOU."

Sakura found herself consumed in thought. How could he still want to touch her? Not after what she agreed to...

* * *

_Kabuto was right, he would have found out the truth eventually, but that still didn't justify her actions. Sakura felt dizzy; Kabuto told her give it a few days. It'll all go away in time._

_Sakura found some ill humor in the statement, treating her condition like it was some sort of sickness. Give it a few days, you'll recover. She shook her head. Somehow Sakura knew that this was no ordinary illness, and that she'll take this "disease" to her grave. _

* * *

_-Sasuke, what have I done?-_

Sakura violently erupted into a fit of sobs, and Sasuke debated whether she had finally reached the edge of sanity; just like himself.

As Sakura continued to struggle inwardly, his body heat began to enthrall her. Soon her thoughts and feelings turned to a haze; over-masked by Sasuke's own desires.

By the time she reopened her eyes warm blood oozed its way down her medic-uniform, or what remained of it.

"Sakura?" _Tenten?_ Rolling onto her side, Sakura's eyes met with the chocolate brown orbs belonging to the team's weapon specialist.

"That bastard. What has he done to you?" Tenten mumbled under her breath. This was not good.

Examining her wounds, to Sakura's relief the blood staining her shirt was not secreting out from her chest; but from another individual entirely.

_Sasuke..._

"By the time Naruto and I arrived here, it was...well.." Tenten shook her head, while Sakura sat up and scanned the area.

"Naruto...," Her voice sighed. "He managed to beat Sasuke up quite bad. If it wasn't for Sasuke's retreat, I'd say only one would have come out alive." Sakura clenched her fists, eyes swelling with tears.

"It's all my fault. I let him intimidate me. I should have told the truth... I..." By this time, Naruto appeared behind the trembling Sakura and Tenten took this as a sign to leave them alone.

Tenten understood that this was one of those rare cases when emotional wounds needed to be tended to before anything else.


	3. Not Even God Can Change The Past

_**Chapter Three: Not Even God Can Change the Past**_

* * *

"Ku..ku...Sasuke-kun, Kabuto and I didn't expect you back so soon," Orochimaru cackled to the obviously distraught Sasuke.

Replying to Orochimaru with an inarticulate grunt, Sasuke shunned his superiors and headed deeper into the base.

When Sasuke-kun was a safe distant away, Kabuto took a chance and dared to open his mouth.

"So, do you think he knows about our little 'pet project'?"

Shooting Kabuto an icy glare, Orochimaru answered, "in time..."

* * *

"I heard your mission was a total bust, but that was only some of the rumors," Ino and her gossip; Sakura pondered as she leaned herself up against the glass counter of the Yamanka flower shop.

"...The rumors..." Sakura struggled to get out the right words, and Ino drew her short attention-span back to Sakura.

"Did any of the rumors, mention anything about me...me and..._him_..."

Ino's cerulean eyes grew wide, but quickly narrowed as her face fell into a somber frown.

"Well, there was one tidbit I eavesdropped from some ANBU, but it's something I haven't told anyone, or openly spread." Sakura nodded for Ino to continue, and an air of silence hung over the small flower shop.

"Apparently, well, they think Orochimaru has gained access to another Sharingan user," Ino spoke delicately as possible.

"Huh?"

Sakura's eyes lit up as she leaned in closer. "So you're saying that not all Uchiha were eliminated during the massacre! That's great...well not great in a good sense; but Sasuke isn't so alone anymore!"

Ino backed away from the eager Sakura. "You see, that's just it. They think it's a post-massacre Uchiha."

"Wha..t..." Biting her lip, it took Sakura a few seconds to draw a conclusion from this information.

"So, like, Itachi knocked someone up or something?"

What was Ino getting at? Checking to make sure no-one else was in the room, Ino sighed while bringing her acrylic nails to Sakura's right ear.

"Or something.." The was a slight pause as Ino second-thought informing Sakura of the 'rumor'. Though as her friend, Ino knew she was wholly obligated to tell her.

"They think...it's your's."

The room began to spin. Clenching her stomach while her eyes glazed, Sakura tried to deny the inevitable.

"Ino, it can't be...I..." Sakura knew whispers and rumors had begun to spread since the day she returned from the fatal mission one year ago, but her most recent encounter had sparked an interest from ANBU that was not present beforehand.

"Don't worry Sakura, you know how those Black Ops can get. Making up delusional stories just so their job can seem a bit more interesting. At times they can be worse than the tabloids," Ino cooed as she attempted to comfort her shaken friend.

"Ino, it's alright. I'm alright,"

-_No she wasn't._-

"What happened in Sound, well, it's in the past. It's too late for tears now."

Why was she denying her true feelings? Because of guilt? Shame? Maybe a mix of both.

_-No, it's never too late to cry-_; Sakura thought while biting her lip to hold back tears.

* * *

"I killed them..." A look of displeasure crossed a young girl's face, but strands of her unruly flaxen hair hid the expression.

"Good," Her superior commented smugly. This answer obviously did not fit well with the girl, causing her to lash back at the man.

"Good! You told me I would get to see _Mommy_, but instead I ended up attacking her friends. You're a...big fat liar!" With her violet eyes on the verge of tears, the girl turned around, attempting to make a break for it.

A naïve move. Even for someone so young.

She got only a few yards before snakes blocked her only path; the girl was not escaping that easily.

Stumbling backwards in terror, she crawled up against a tree, kicking her feet in attempt to ward off the vicious summons.

"So this is your latest experiment, _Orochimaru_..." Sasuke implied. In the distance, one could hear Orochimaru's trademark cackle, causing both Sasuke and the girl to become tense.

"Leave me ALONE!" A childish wail shook the forest of Sound, that is, until Sasuke smothered the girl's mouth.

"Mmhmmhh..." Seconds passed until Sasuke finally let go, causing the girl to collapse onto the ground, gasping for air. Before she could catch her breathe, Sasuke brazenly asks her, "What is your name?"

Pushing herself up from the ground, the young girl blew a light strand of hair away from her face. "My name? Well I'm often referred to as _Shinkyoku_, but you can call me Yoku."

Examining the dirt covered girl, Sasuke sarcastically laughed. "For someone so young, answering to Orochimaru; Well all I can say is have a nice trip to _Dante's Inferno_."

Straightening her posture, Yoku brushed some foliage off her skirt. "On the contrary, I'd say that's where you're ending up. Orochimaru explained _everything_ to me, _Daddy_. And there you were, thinking I could just be dealt with; like some infectious disease."

_-Wait, What did she just call him?- _

Could she be? Sasuke double checked the girl. Large violet eyes, fair, not too blond-not too brown, hair, and a small button nose. She was lying.

_-No, she HAD to be lying.-_

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I know for sure I am not your father," Sasuke reprimanded to Yoku. As her face fell into a mischievous grin, Sasuke was convinced the girl was delirious.

"Or _are_ you?"

* * *

"So it's been confirmed, a Sharingan user killed the two casualties..." Shikamaru told Sakura solemnly. Even if it was too troublesome for him to keep up in lore of local gossip, since this was such a highly acknowledged mission, Shikamaru couldn't help but eavesdrop on a few conversations.

And from the bits and pieces he heard, Sakura needed to be the first to know the truth.

With her jade eyes wide with curiosity, she asked him, "But...how?"

Shikamaru wanted to sigh, but he promised Ino he'd be careful around Sakura. Some troublesome thing about being in a 'fragile emotion state'.

"Well for starters, this little sharingan bugger took a shuriken and..."

_-That's enough...-_

"No!" Sakura was tempted to slam her door in Shikamaru's face, but she knew no good would come of that.

"No, Shikamaru. I meant, how did this Sharingan user come to existence? Ino and I talked today, and they think..."

Misty eyed, Sakura was surprised when she felt Shikamaru's hands slip through her arms. And here she was assuming he was too lazy to bother being a decent friend.

"Sakura, let's just say Orochimaru is a sick man, and leave it at that." Sakura blinked her eyes, but then quickly nodded in an epiphany.

"Look at Yamato, for all we know he has an army of DNA grafted bloodline carriers hidden within Sound." Shikamaru was right, though Sakura still wasn't sure where she fell into all of this...

-"_Did it feel pain?"- _Oh shit.

Suddenly everything clicked in Sakura's mind. And you know what? It was sickening.

_'He wouldn't do something to..' _Squeezing Shikamaru tighter, she didn't care how awkward the moment felt. Sakura just needed a tangible form of comfort. And in a typical Shikamaru way, he was standing right there; why waste the energy to seek out someone else?

"Can you stay?" If Ino hadn't been so troublesome and demanded for Shikamaru to be gentle with Sakura, then maybe he wouldn't have agreed to Sakura's request.

_Or would he?_

* * *

Yoku didn't understand why _Daddy_ was so mad. As she watched his body tremble, Yoku could almost feel the vibrations yards away.

Maybe he wasn't mad, but scared, Yoku thought. Might he have seen the angel standing beside to her?

Violet eyes drifted their attention towards a magnificent winged creature, dilating as it's soft glow intensified.

But that wouldn't make sense, what malicious emotion could such a divine creature stir from within?

"What should we do?" Yoku inwardly asked the angel. Placing a luminous hand on the girl's shoulder, the angel softly smiled.

"How could she do...why..." Sasuke mumbled with delusion.

_-Were those tears?-_

As she watched _Daddy_ cry, goosebumps developed on Yoku's alabaster skin, raising the fine hairs along her arms. Yoku's lips pursed, trying to form words of comfort, but nothing could come out. She was too bashful to approach him.

The angel on the other hand, was a bit more outgoing.

* * *

Sakura never considered herself the religious type. Whether to God or Gods, her belief in the divine was skeptical at best.

So when Sakura kneeled down at the alter and made a sign of the cross, she couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite.

She was a ninja.

Her job, no her mission, always came first, regardless of the lives she was forced to prematurely end along the way – _including her unborn child's._

Clenching the rosary beads that fell above her neckline, Sakura began to recite a line of the '_Ave Maria_'.

"_Et benedictus fructus ventris,_"

* * *

_It was one of the last missions Sakura attended before Sasuke's betrayal. Team Seven had been assigned to protect a Catholic missionary returning to Europe after a trip to the far east; but other than that, it was a quite simple, D rank._

_As Sakura washed up by the river, an elegant melody drifted through the river bank's meadow. Pursuing the voice, soprano without a doubt, the tune became much clearer. Like a faint memory, Sakura could've sworn she'd heard the song before._

_Pushing her way through the riverside brush, Sakura eventually discovered the melody's origin; the missionary._

_"Ave Maria, gratia plea..." Listening in awe, nothing Sakura ever heard before sounded so bittersweet._

_As she watched the woman sing, delicately taking in every word, it wasn't long until Sakura could sing along to the verses._

_Dominus tecum," Sakura's abnormally powerful voice belted out. _

_"Huh?" Turning around, the missionary was astonished by the passion that Sakura emitted while singing. Flashing Sakura a friendly smile, the older woman gestured for Sakura to come closer._

_"That was...beautiful. The song..." The missionary nodded in agreement while reaching into her shirt to retrieve a rosary._

_"Have you ever seen one of these before?" She asked. Sakura recognized the cross. Even if most ninjas didn't observe a religion, Christianity always managed to captivate the pink haired nin._

_Sakura silently nodding to the missionary, while the older woman went on to explain. "It's a rosary. The song I was singing, it isn't just a song. It's the prayer, Ave Maria."_

_As Sakura's jade eyes drifted to the glass beads strung around the missionary's neck, she realized where she heard Ave Maria before._

_Sasuke played the same tune on his flute. _

_"I want you to have these..." The missionary's generous offer left Sakura uncharacteristically speechless._

_"But they're so elegant. And look expensive. I'm sorry, but I just can't take them from you. I'm not even Catholic..." Before Sakura could resist, the missionary removed the rosary and tenaciously pushed the beads in Sakura's direction._

_"They came all the way from Rome. Blessed by one of the Vatican's high ranking Bishops. You're a ninja. Don't tell me you've never had one moment when you wished there was someone, or something, to turn for guidance. Just have a little faith."_

_Sakura couldn't sum up the courage to speak back. Succumbing to the missionary's offer, she cupped out her hands. As the missionary slipped the rosary into Sakura's palm, she couldn't help but gaze down at them in marvel._

_-Maybe she's right, __just have a little faith.- _

* * *

Reaching into her vest, Sakura revealed the glass beads she received so long ago, and continued to chant the Ave Maria.

"Good afternoon, dear." 'Oh great, a priest...' Sakura sighed. Ninjas don't believe, nor observe, any faith. Sakura wasn't up to being judged, not by her friends, coworkers, or even someone as holy as thy.

"I know what you must think," Sakura muttered to the Priest. The somewhat jolly man looked down at the praying girl, not quite getting her statement.

"Pardon?"

"Don't tell me you don't find it any bit suspicious that a ninja, you know, the fancy dolled up name for murderer, in a church? Doesn't it seem like heresy, just letting me kneel her, taint this holy place?" Suddenly the Priest's eyes softened.

"Come here, my child."

Standing up, Sakura tucked away the glass beads, hiding the only only proof that she believed in the divine. Following the Priest down a long row of pews, they both stopped when they reached the tabernacle.

"The body of Christ. Do you actually believe...it's in there?" The Priest smiled.

"Even when things seem impossible, when you learn to trust God it's hard not to believe."

Was he trying to be cryptic? Sakura looked back down at her hands. Something was different. She no longer felt dirty. Even though she was covered in a mixture of dirt and blood. That feeling. A big weight had been lifted off her shoulder, in more ways then she realized. Everyone makes mistakes, all Sakura needed to believe was God forgives.

"Thank you, Father..."

* * *

"As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear – beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear," Yoku spoke in a low, nearly inaudible voice.

Sasuke momentarily snapped out of his self pity, recognizing the infamous lines.

"Romeo always had quite a way with words," he replied, procuring a haughty smile from the somewhat serious girl.

"Was that what she was to you?" Yoku asked, Sasuke left jaded by the girl's question.

"Let's just say I took my exile without protest, leaving Juliet to Benvolio's heart." Even though he wasn't sure what answer the girl was looking for, Sasuke had the strange feeling she was going to be sticking around.

"Pretty lame tragedy if you ask me..." Pushing a strand of her golden hair aside, Yoku let out an innocent yawn.

Looking up at the moon, Sasuke could make a decent assumption of the time. "It's late, maybe you should go to bed."

Nodding, Yoku walked towards Sasuke and slipped her arms between his. "Tuck me in."

Though awkward, this moment awakened something dormant inside Sasuke's heart.

A dim candle provided the only illumination in her room, not that Orochimaru's hideout had much light anyway. Next to her candle was a large stack of books, ranging from Sophocles to T.S. Elliot.

Dressed in an oversized t-shirt, Yoku quietly slipped under the covers. Approaching the quietly nestled girl, Sasuke gingerly ran his hand through Yoku's hair.

"Tell me a story," Yoku whined, and Sasuke's hand shot back.

"I don't know any," he answered smugly. Yoku wasn't giving up that easy.

"Then read me something," And she pointed to the stack of books neatly piled on the other side of the room.

Sifting through hardcover novels and first edition paperbacks, Sasuke was somewhat overwhelmed by the variety of literature the girl possessed, especially for someone that should be around the age of one.

"Actually, I think I just remembered one," Sasuke told his enthusiastic daughter.

"What's it about, Daddy?" Yoku asked Sasuke eagerly.

"God."


End file.
